


All the times Steve nearly kissed Tony

by cptxrogers



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, Just watch me, Kissing, M/M, Pining Steve, i'm putting every single fluffy fic cliche in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 17:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12137211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cptxrogers/pseuds/cptxrogers
Summary: Steve has got used to pining after Tony. Tony is just so soft and warm and lovely, and Steve can't help wondering what it might be like to kiss him. But that's not going to happen.Because it's not like Tony would want to kiss Steve... right?





	All the times Steve nearly kissed Tony

**Author's Note:**

> More Avengers Assemble fluff, because AA really is the good verse <3  
> This can be read as a continuation to my previous AA story Touch if you like.

The first time Steve nearly kissed Tony was during a team movie night. Tony had, as usual, curled up on the sofa next to Steve and promptly fallen asleep on his shoulder. Any attempts to move or readjust him where met with the sort of whining growls one usually heard from a particularly grumpy cat, so Steve decided against antagonizing him further.

They and the rest of the team had been watching  _Some Like It Hot_. The 20s setting had made Steve nostalgic, but the charming comedy of errors had made him laugh out loud. And that Marilyn Monroe - she really was something, he’d said to Clint, who had enthusiastically agreed.

After the movie had ended and the team had departed to go to bed, Steve gently nudged Tony. “Hey, sleepy,” he’d said softly. “You missed the movie.”

Tony looked up from Steve’s shoulder and opened one eye. “Worth it,” he said with a dozy smile. “You’re very comfy.”

For a moment, their eyes met, and Steve realized that he could lean forward a few inches, turn his head, and brush their lips together.

Just as Steve was wondering where that thought came from and what he should do about it, Tony snuggled his face back into Steve’s shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

Huh, thought Steve. That was odd.

 

* * *

 

The next time was on one of his and Tony’s Tuesday get-togethers. It wasn’t clear quite how it happened, but Tuesday night had become their hang out time, when every week they’d go explore the city or see a show or cook dinner together. It didn’t help Steve’s awkward feelings that Sam insisted on referring to it as their ‘date night’ with a cheeky grin.

This Tuesday, he and Tony had been eating snacks and having an involved conversation about who would win in a fight: the Hulk or Godzilla. Godzilla had been the subject of a previous movie night, and it was safe to say that Steve was a fan.

“I can’t believe you’d disrespect our team mate in that way,” Tony teased. “Didn’t you know that the Hulk is the strongest there is?”

“I’m just saying, no offense to the green guy, but Godzilla levelled an entire city. He’s the king of the monsters! And he’s big, even bigger than the Hulk… Hey, that’s the last strawberry!”

Tony had taken up the one solitary juicy strawberry that was sat on a plate between them and he eyed Steve mischievously. Tony knew that strawberries were Steve’s favourite.

“Yeah?” Tony said with a grin, bringing the strawberry up to his mouth and taking a cheeky bite. “And what are you going to do about it, old man?”

Steve was seized by a moment of pure insanity, wanting nothing more than to push Tony back against the sofa cushions and lick the taste off his lips. His pulse raced, his fingers twitched, wanting to pull Tony closer and taste the strawberry on his tongue.

He must have been staring, because before he could gather his thoughts into any kind of coherence, Tony laughed and stood up. “Don’t worry, Cap, there are plenty more strawberries in the fridge,” he said lightly.

“Oh good,” Steve said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

 

* * *

 

This was silly, Steve realized. He could try to ignore it or deny it to everyone else, but it was time to come clean to himself at least: he really,  _really_  wanted to kiss Tony.

That didn’t have to be so bad, did it? Maybe Tony would even… like it? Maybe he’d actually enjoy kissing Steve?

Except it wasn’t as if Steve had much to offer a guy like Tony. Steve thought, at his lowest moments, that he was nothing more than an outdated relic, and certainly not someone who Futura’s cover star would ever be interested in.

But then… sometimes, Steve would look up and Tony would quickly glance away, as if he’d been looking at him. Almost as if he might enjoy watching Steve.

Something needed to be done. And he was Steve Rogers, man of action, hero of the people and scourge of evildoers everywhere. No more excuses.

He’d walked out of his bedroom and down to Tony’s workshop. Tony was, as usual, half buried beneath a pile of complicated-looking electronics and armor components. He was working on a panel with his tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth in concentration, brow furrowed as he tightened a loose nut with a spanner.

“Hey,” Steve called, trying to sound confident.

“Cap!” Tony sounded genuinely delighted. “Good to see you.”

Tony extricated himself from the electronics and ambled over to Steve. He was wearing loose track pants and an old and somewhat holey tank top, and he had engine oil streaked across his face. He took Steve’s breath away.

“What can I do for you today, Steve-o?” he asked cheerfully. “I’ve been working on this compressor, trying to up the efficiency cause it’s burning through too much power, I’ve changed the fuel intake three times already but it’s still not working so I thought I’d try adjusting the manifold-” And he was off, talking far too fast for Steve to follow but still captivating him with his usual charming enthusiasm.

Without thinking too much, Steve reached out to rub a smudge of dirt off Tony’s cheek. Tony snapped his mouth shut in the middle of his rambling and Steve had a momentary panic. But as he cupped Tony’s cheek, Tony surprised him by leaning into his hand. For a moment, they stood together, Tony’s eyes sliding closed and Steve vibrating with anticipation.

Steve hesitated. What if he was reading this all wrong? The last thing he wanted was to ruin his closest friendship. He paused, the seconds stretching out between them.

And then Tony had pulled away and was back to talking a million miles an hour about what he was working on, eyes barely meeting Steve’s as he bustled around the workshop.

He’d missed his moment again, darn it.

 

* * *

 

Then there was the gala debacle. It was a intimidatingly swanky benefit for the Maria Stark Foundation, the sort of event which Steve would normally have avoided at all costs. But Tony had invited him to come along, and he’d been so quiet about it, insisting that it was fine if Steve didn’t want to. Steve had never seen Tony sounding so shy, and he was powerless to resist.

So here he was, standing awkwardly by the buffet in a rented tux which didn’t quite fit across his broad shoulders. He’d been doing to best to make small talk with the donors in attendance and to tell them all about the wonderful philanthropic work that Tony did. At least that part was easy to talk about. Perhaps fortunately, a large percentage of the attendees were older women who apparently found Steve rather charming.

“Anthony!” the woman he was talking to called out to Tony when she spotted him across the room, gleaming in a perfectly fitted black tie ensemble. He smiled his best indulgent socialite smile and came over to join them.

“Ethel, dearest, you are as radiant as ever.”

“And you’re as much of a charmer as always, and I love it. Now tell me, Tony dear, where have you been keeping this little gem?” Steve’s new friend pinched his cheek. “He’s just scrumptious!”

Steve blushed and Tony grinned broadly. “That he is,” Tony said. “Steve here has been a wonderful asset to the team.”

Ethel’s raised eyebrow suggested that wasn’t quite what she had meant.

“And he’s been a gem for the Foundation too. You should see him with the kids from the schools program, they can’t get enough.”

“Mmm, I’m sure they’re not the only ones,” Ethel said with a gleam in her eye.

Tony appeared unruffled. “May I steal him from you for a dance?”

“I wouldn’t dream of stopping you. Dance well for me, my darling boys!”

Tony took Steve’s hand and lead him to the dance floor. This was going to be a problem. Steve may have been the mostly highly trained of soldiers and a superhuman athlete, but dancing was quite beyond him.

“Umm, Tony, I’m not sure this is a good idea-” he began.

Tony waved him off. “It’ll be fine. We can’t disappoint Ethel, can we? Here, follow my lead.”

Tony put his other hand around Steve’s waist and stepped a little closer.

Oh.

That was nice.

Tony nodded at Steve’s shocked expression and swayed them back and forth.

“There you go,” he said lightly. Steve let himself be swayed, feeling the slow beat of the music, Tony holding him close as they moved back and forth.

“I knew you’d be good at this,” Tony said, and Steve thought he must have been joking except for the fond expression on his face. He carefully shuffled his feet and let Tony lead.

The warmth of Tony’s hand in his thrummed and the steady rhythm of the music washed over him. The swanky ballroom and the noisy guests all receded into the background, until it might as well have been just him and Tony in the whole world.

Tony gave him one of those soft smiles, the type that were so different from his dazzling press smiles, one of those real smiles that went all the way to his eyes and made his whole face light up. Steve couldn’t help thinking that he’d do just about anything to see Tony smile like that more, and he must have been beaming back at him, and they were holding each other ever so close-

Then, of course, Steve had stepped squarely on Tony’s foot, and Tony had jumped away from him with a yelp.

“Ohmygosh Tony I’m so sorry, are you ok?” Steve could feel the flush rushing across his cheeks.

“No worries,” Tony said with a wry grin, “my toes are still intact. We might need to work some more on your dancing though.”

Steve could have kicked himself. His experience with romance may have been limited, but he was aware that this was not exactly how it was supposed to go.

 

* * *

 

Steve didn’t like to think about the battlefield incident. It had started with the team taking on a small army of magical sewer monsters, because that was a typical Thursday in New York.

Clint and Natasha were tag teaming a large and angry but not very smart rhino-like monster that was oozing green slime across the sidewalk, while Sam and Thor swept up any of the beasts that were flying on sticky wings. The Hulk was corralling the smaller monsters towards Steve, who was methodically knocking out each one with a firm shield to the skull.

So just your standard Avengers mission.

Tony had zipped off to investigate the source of the beasts, and had called over comms that he’d found the sewer grate where they were spawning.

“Eww.” Tony’s disdain was clear even over the comm channel. “These creatures are definitely mystical in origin. Also, they’re gross and slimy.”

“We noticed that, thanks, Stark.” Natasha’s voice was flat but Steve knew her well enough to hear the fond teasing behind her tone.

“Hmm. There’s a machine here that seems to be powering the portal that’s letting these guys out. I’m going to take it out.”

“Wait a minute,” Steve said over the channel, watching as Tony flew up and hovered in position high above the device. “Don’t you think we ought to investigate before blowing anything up-”

But it was too late. Steve heard the whine of Tony’s repulsors and a beam hit the sewer grate below him. The monsters surrounding them squealed and fizzled into nothingness as the portal collapsed.

Just as they were starting to relax, a burst of green lightning shot out from the collapsing grate and up into the sky with a shuddering crack. There must have been some kind of booby trap on the device, Steve realized. The energy arced across the sky and slammed into Iron Man, and Steve only had time to hear Tony’s shocked “Oh.” before his comms went out.

Steve looked up in dismay as all the lights from Tony’s suit went dead and he plummeted to earth, landing on the sidewalk with a sickening crash.

Steve didn’t even register that he was moving until he was halfway across the battlefield, feet carrying him across the uneven ground towards Tony in huge strides.

“Iron Man!” he yelled. “Status report. Are you okay?”

Tony didn’t reply, and Steve felt his stomach roll with horror.

Steve skidded to a halt by Tony’s side, trying not to imagine the worst as he took in the twisted pieces of armor and the deep crater caused by his impact with the ground.

“Tony!” Steve pushed back a wave of nausea and terror at the sight on Tony unresponsive on the ground and shook him by the shoulders. “Tony, wake up. Tony. Please.”

For a long, hideous moment, nothing happened. Steve felt utter terror roiling within him and burning through it all was the ridiculous, inappropriate thought  _But I never got to tell him how I feel_.

Then, miraculously, Tony stirred beneath him, his fingers twitching against the fractured concrete.

“Ughhh.” Tony sat up with a groan. He pulled off the now depowered helmet and tossed it to the side with a sigh. “That was unpleasant.” He looked grouchy and bruised but whole, and undamaged, and alive.

Steve threw his arms around him, even though he couldn’t quite reach all the way around the armor’s bulky shoulders, and pulled him into a desperate hug.

“Hey,” Tony sounded ever so gentle for someone who had just fallen through the air and smashed into concrete. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

Steve tried not to cry. “I thought. God, Tony, I thought-” He clung to Tony tighter.

Tony stroked a gauntleted hand down his back in comforting circles. “I know. It’s okay.”

Steve realized that he was being ridiculous and tried to pull himself together. He loosened his death grip around Tony and leaned back to give him some air.

“Sorry,” Steve mumbled, feeling guilty for making Tony’s injury all about him and his worries.

“Don’t be,” Tony said, and he was smiling at Steve with a kindness that made his heart hammer in his throat once again. “I’m lucky to have you looking out for me.”

And god, Tony was  _right here_  and he was  _alive_  and he was  _smiling_  and Steve had nearly  _lost him_  and now all he wanted was to take Tony’s face in his hands and kiss him and do everything he could to make sure that he was always safe and happy.

But they were in the middle of a battlefield, in front of all their teammates, and Tony was almost certainly suffering from at least some minor injuries that must have been causing him pain. So Steve wrapped him up in another big hug instead.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he murmured into Tony’s neck. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

* * *

 

Tony wandered into the kitchen a few days later, hair mussed, pajama pants slung low around his hips, eyes crinkled sleepily, adorable as ever.

“Morning,” he mumbled as he passed Steve, making a beeline for the coffee machine.

“Good morning, beloved,” Steve said warmly. Then, realizing what he’d just said and that he’d admitted his feelings far more than he meant to, he snapped his mouth shut and tried to look casual. Tony probably hadn’t noticed. He was half asleep anyway, right?

Tony poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip, regarding Steve over the rim of his mug. Steve made an effort not to squirm as Tony eyed him. Even through the haze of morning fog, he had the uncanny feeling that Tony saw right through him.

Tony took another sip of coffee, narrowed his eyes, and placed the cup down on the sideboard with a firm clink.

He strolled over, casual as anything, and stood on the tips of his toes to press a quick kiss to Steve’s lips. Then he smiled at Steve’s stunned expression and went back to preparing breakfast.

Steve’s eyes widened and his heart raced. This was… Tony had…

“Wha?” he managed.

Tony rolled his eyes good naturedly. “I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for months,” he said and gave a shrug. “I got bored of waiting.”

“You… you kissed me.” Steve was still struggling to wrap his head around what just happened.

“I did,” Tony said with a smile.

“Um. Well. Gosh.” Steve just knew that he was blushing all over. “Do you want to do that again?” he asked in a breathless rush.

Tony rounded on him, backing him up against the kitchen counter until there were only millimeters between them, and grinning like Steve was the most delightful thing in the world. “Very much so.”

And Steve would have panicked at that, would have been freaking out and overthinking everything and fretting about whether this was all just in his imagination - but Tony was right there, warm and soft and sleepy and just a breath away, and every thought other than kissing him flew right out of Steve’s head.

When Steve wrapped one hand around the base of Tony’s neck and hauled him in, their lips met and he could feel Tony smiling against his mouth. Kissing Tony turned out to be even better than he had imagined, all gentle and delicate but promising ever so much more. 

Tony tasted like coffee and home, and for once Steve felt like he was right where he was supposed to be.


End file.
